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Rotten adjustable wooden threshold strip

02-28-2011, 01:35 PM

I've got to replace a rotten wooden adjustable threshold on my exterior door. The left side of the door looking at it from the inside of the house is a large pane of glass the height of the door, the other side is the door. The threshold appears to run under both the door and the window panel. It is rotten on the door side from the right jamb to the divider that separates the two panels. It may be an adjustable threshold strip. I've attached a photo. Is there any easy fix for this, other than completely removing the entire door/glass panel assembly? I guess I was hoping I could just remove the rotten wood and fit a new piece of pressure treated or other hardwood. The possibility that it may be adjustable makes me nervous. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

That screw in the pic makes it look like it is (was) adjustable. If so, it does not run under the sidelight. Remove it and replace it with either a manufacturer's part or a homemade one. The adjustable part is to get a good fit on the bottom weatherstrip. You will want that feature.

Comment

Funny you should bring this question up. I have been thinking I need to replace the threshold to my shop. It not as bad as yours yet but it getting there. In my case there is no sidelight, its just a metal clad pre-hung entry door. I've been wondering where I might find a replacement threshold. Haven't started looking yet but I know HD and Lowes both carry them. I'd like to get an adjustable to replace the one in there now. If not I guess I could mill my own. What's a good wood to use, oak?

Good luck to you. My niece's door thresh hold looked like that. When I removed it, I found the entire bottom plate and 4" of the foundation band were also rotted from years of water leaking it. I referred her to a professional.

Bob D. White oak will last longer than red oak if you make your own. Most of them at Lowe's or HD are red oak.

Comment

Well a few weeks ago I finally was forced to replace this threshold as it completely failed.

Instead of using oak I decided to use some composite decking of which I had a ~5 foot piece left over from a previous project. I was able to work this material easily with standard WWing tools. I even ran it through the planer to get the thickness I needed after resawing on the bandsaw. I planned all my cuts so I could make use of factory edges and finish since the interior of the decking is not the came color or have the same imitation wodd grain finish as the faces of the deck board does. The piece I had was just long enough to make the two pieces out of since one was over 3/4 o the width of the deck board there was not enough in the offcut to make the narrow center strip you see in the photos so I had to cut that from the remainder of the board. This resulted in a lot of waste but I belive this will hold up for many years longer than the original oak did which only lasted 16 years.

Now this was going into my shop so there was nothing inside the threshold just the tops of the blocks which made for an awkard and uneven stepping surface, something that always bugged me going through that door. Don't have any 'before' pics but here is what it looks like now.

I made a piece to cover the top of the block too and that has made this a lot nicer looking as well as giving a more even walking surface. before there was only the narrow strip of wdd then a 1.5" drop to the top of the block.

At the time the photo was taken I had just finished fitting the threshold in and i used some construction adhesive on the wide piece so I would not have to drill through the face. I caulked where the frame meets the threshold and now I need to paint the door to finish it all off before winter gets here. Been too hot lately to paint. I've been thinking about covering the doorway with plastic, taking the door off and paint it inside on some sawhorses.

Comment

Hello, I also have a similar situation with a french door threshold. I have one ordered but haven't received it yet. I don't see a way of mounting this wooden strip to the aluminum unless the adjustment screws act as a dual purpose deal. any help here would be much appreciated. Thanks, Dale

[ATTACH]17168[/ATTACH]Hello, I also have a similar situation with a french door threshold. I have one ordered but haven't received it yet. I don't see a way of mounting this wooden strip to the aluminum unless the adjustment screws act as a dual purpose deal. any help here would be much appreciated. Thanks, Dale

You got it! There should be a spring of some type (depending on manufacturer) between the wood and the aluminum--the screw holds the wood down and the spring holds it up to the adjusted height.